Battery powered gas fueled igniter device



1968 51-10 20 ISHIBASHI 3,406,001

BATTERY POWERED GAS FUELED IGNITER DEVICE Filed April 20, 1967 IIIIIIIIWIIIIIIII ssT J8 :9 61 39 I 43 3;}23 I a v 41 52 I 47 2 1. 2125- 4 J7 45 if I 69 I 44g J51 Y 57 v IN VENTOR.

BY /%m'% 7% Atty.

United States Patent T 3,406,001 BATTERY POWERED GAS FUELED IGNITER DEVICE Shozo Ishibashi, Kunitachi, Tokyo, Japan, assignor to United Silver and Cutlery Company, Los Angeles,

Calif., a corporation of California Filed Apr. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 632,431 Claims. (Cl. 431255) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable lighter having a cartridge with low boiling liquid fuel and an electric igniter for igniting the liquid fuel. An actuable fuel valve for the cartridge and common means for igniting the i'gniter and opening the fuel valve to provide a torch flame.

The invention relates to improvements in portable lighters and is more particularly concerned with the construction and assembly of an electrically ignited lighter designed to be held in the hand which is self contained, and capable of being dismantled partially readily for servicing. The lighter embodies a novel assembly wherein the parts, which are inexpensive to construct, may be readily assembled economically to provide a lighter that is capable of igniting and staying lit in strong draughts.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a novel lighter of the character referred to.

Another object is to provide a lighter of the character referred to which may be easily and quickly disassembled for servicing.

Another object is to provide such a lighter with a novelly constructed and activated valve assembly.

Another object is to provide a lighter of the character referred to in which the electric batteries and fuel cartridge are enclosed in separate readily connected sections of the main body of the lighter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lighter that is not expensive or difiicult to manufacture, in which a limited number of parts perform dual function, and one that is very etficient in use.

The structure by means of which the above noted and other objects and advantages of the invention are attained will be described in the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, showing a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the portable lighter.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, showing parts in elevation.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the fuel-valve assembly, showing parts in elevation.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the igniter.

Referring to the exemplary disclosure of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawing, the igniter device or lighter comprises, generally, a hollow shell-like casing comprised of two mated sections 11-1111, a flow stem 12 carrying on its free end an ignitor 13, and a handle 14 in the form of a pistol grip, having as associated trigger 15 operable to open valve means for delivering fuel to the ignitor and for lighting the ignitor.

With reference to FIGURE 2, the shell-like back section 11 of the casing is tubular and it is closed at one end by a wall 16. This shell mounts the handle 14 which includes a trigger guard 17 and is suitably slotted, as at 18, to receive for operation in the slot, the trigger 15 pivoted at 19. The trigger includes an upstanding lug 21 for a purpose to be described presently. This shell 11 constitutes a compartment adapted to contain dry cell 3,406,001 Patented Oct. 15, 1968 batteries 22 for providing electric energy to the filament 23 (see FIGURE 4) of ignitor 13, and to this end it has an internal sleeve 24 of electric insulation material and carries on the inside face of its back wall a tension spring 25 mounting a metal strap 26, insulated therefrom by an insulator 27. The strap 26 extends downwardly and forwardly to provide a switch contact element 28. A companion switch element 29 is carried by the casing section 11 in a position so that when the trigger is actuated, the element 29 is moved into contact with element 28 to ground the dry cell batteries to the casing.

The other, or front shell, section 11a of the casing also is tubular and has a front wall 31. As best shown in FIGURE 3, it houses a metal cartridge 32 for butane gas or other low boiling liquid fuel. The two shell sections 11 and 11a are arranged open end to open end so as to provide a continuous elongated casing. For purposes of securely locking the two sections together, detachably, the section 11 has a tongue 33 on one wall that slides into the section 11a and on its opposite wall it carries a depressible spring latch 34 disposed to snap engage with a lug 35 on the comparable wall of section 1101. Thus, it is apparent that the two sections 11 and 11a can be lockingly engaged with one another, or disengaged readily for servicing the lighter, as when replacing batteries or refueling the cartridge 32. For the latter purpose, the cartridge 32 has on its exposed end wall 32a a normally closed filling opening 36 surrounded by metal ferrule 37 which is contacted by the battery terminal 38.

As best shown in FIGURE 3, the cartridge 32 has for its other end wall a rather thick circular block 39 of insulation material which is axially apertured to receive snugly therethrough a cylindrical valve element or housing 41 having a port 42 on its end wall. Preferably, the housing 41 is secured in place by being threaded through a metal gland 43 embedded firmly in the block 39 and having a back metal face plate 44 over which the margins of the cartridge body is clinched. The valve housing 41 is internally threaded, as at 44, to receive a collar 47 through which a valve element 48 is extended. This element 48 is tubular and it carries on its inner end a valve seat 49 that normally rests against the housing end wall to the close port 42. A spring 51 disposed between the collar 47 and an O-ring carrying flange 52 on the element 48 holds the valve element in closed position.

The outer free end of the valve element 48 is externally threaded, as at 53. It receives thereover a pair of fiber washers 54 between which an actuating lever 55 is arranged, and a tubular stem 56 is screw threaded onto said threaded end for the purpose of mounting the stern and securing the lever 55 in place. Gas from the cartridge 32 is admitted into the stem 56 which the valve is opened, through a port 57 in the wall of the tubular element 48.

Movement of the valve element into open position is accomplished by manipulation of the lever 55. For this purpose, one end of the lever is pivotally connected, as at 58, to a finger 59 formed in a metal cage 61 fitted over and secured to the circular block 39, as at 62. The other end of said lever extends downwardly so as to lie in the path of a reciprocable bar 63 mounted at one end on the trigger lug 21. In use, insofar as described, when the trigger is actuated, the bar 63 is thrust against the lever so as to rock the same about its pivot 58 to shift the valve assembly in a direction to move the valve seat 49 off of the port 42. Gas will enter the interior of the stem 56, flowing into the interior of the valve housing 41 and through port 57. When the trigger is released, spring 51 will return the valve element to closed position. In order to regulated the amount of opening of the valve, a finger piece 64 is carried on a ring 65 having a knurled fit over the flange on the tubular valve housing 41, which extends to the outside of the casing section 11a through a circumferential slot therein. By shifting the position of this finger piece, the valve housing 41 and trigger assembly is moved as a unit relative to the car tridge 32 to increase or decrease the amount of movement imparted by the lever 55 when the trigger is operated.

The cage 61 is, as shown, axially apertured to permit the stem 56 to extend through it and said aperture carries firmly a ferrule 66 secured by a washer and nut 67, into which is threaded the tube 12 which is of substantially the same length as the stem 56. This tube preferably has an annular external bead 68 which abuts a collar 69 that bears against the casing front wall 31 to retain the assembly within the casing.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, the front end of tube 12 mounts an internally threaded insulation bushing 71, into which is threaded a tubular fitting 72, the threaded end of which extends beyond the end of the tube. The free or forward end of stem 56 is slidably telescoped into this fitting. The fitting 72 provides a mounting for the igniter 13 comprised of a metal skeleton-like shell 73 having a bottom wall 74 of electric insulation material and mounting a metal nozzle 75 having an axial passage in communication with the passage through fitting 72. The body of the shell 73 and the end of the tube 64 are in electrical contact one with the other, each having a base flange for this purpose. Securely fitted to the nozzle 75, as by welding or solder, is an arm 76 that mounts one end of the filament 23, the other end of which is secured to the shell 73. The skeleton-like tubular shell 73 affords means to admit air for mixing with gas admitted into the ignitor.

This assembly is such that when the trigger is actuated, electric current from the batteries flows in one direction through the switch 28-29, to the casing 11-1121, collar 69, tube 12 and ignitor shell 73, through the filament 23 and back through the nozzle 75, fitting 72, stem 56, plate 44, cartridge housing 32, and back to the batteries.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention in considerable detail, it will be understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as details of the structure may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact construction described.

I claim:

1. In a portable lighter, the combination of an elongated tubular casing, a cartridge of low boiling liquid fuel in said casing and adjacent to one end thereof, the other end of said casing providing a compartment to receive dry cell batteries, a valve, means connecting said cartridge and valve for the fiow of fuel from one to the other, an igniter device including a burner chamber and a fuel inlet and. an air inlet, a stem connecting said valve with the fuel inlet for the flow of fuel from said valve to the igniter device when the valve is open, means in said igniter device to ignite the fuel and air mixture flowing therethrough, a trigger carried by said casing, and means connecting said trigger to the valve and to said igniting means for opening the valve and to effect operation of the igniting means when said trigger is operated.

2. The portable lighter recited in claim 1, in which the casing is comprised of two parts.

3. The portable lighter recited in claim 1 in which the means on the trigger for igniting the igniter means comprises a switch element.

4. The portable lighter recited in claim 1 in which the casing is comprised of two parts and means is provided to detachably connect said parts end to end.

5. The portable lighter recited in claim 1 in which manual means is provided to adjust the valve.

6. The portable lighter recited in claim 1, in which the valve is mounted directly on the cartridge.

7. The portable lighter recited in claim 1 in which a lever is provided to actuate the valve.

8. The portable lighter recited in claim 7 in which a cage is carried by the cartridge for mounting the lever.

9. The portable lighter recited in claim 1 in which a lever is provided to actuate the valve and means carried by the trigger operates to actuate said lever for opening the valve.

10. The portable lighter recited in claim 1 in which the stem is mounted directly on the value.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,895,032 1/1933 Fisher 431-255 X 2,482,794 9/ 1949 Peterson 677 2,666,480 1/1954 Peterson 431-255 2,836,232 5/1958 Horstmann 43 l255 2,888,066 5/1959 Wilson 431-255 BERNARD A. GILH'EANY, Primary Examiner.

VOLODYMYR Y. MAYEWSKY, Assistant Examiner. 

